Coin-operated vending-machine.



N0. 836,346. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

A. SPEAR.

COIN OPERATED VBN'DING MACHINE.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 PATENTE-'ID NOV. 20 No 836,346 A. SPEARI CUIN OPBRATED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Inf/e No. 836,346. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906. A. SPEAK.

COIN OPERATED VENDING MAGHNF..

APPLIUATION FILED APR, 17, 1905 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR sPEAR. or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION Aor ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed April 17. 1905. Serial No. 255.936.

To au whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR SPEAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Coin-Operated Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement, in the class of machine adapted for vending smallarticles-such as envelops, pieces or packages of gum, and the like-from a pile thereof housed in the machine and from the base of which delivery is effected by means requiring for its accomplishment the use of a coin of the denomination representing the purchase price of the article to be delivered by its use.

The invention relates particularly to the construction ofthe coin-controlled delivery mechanism of a machine in the 'class referred to, my object being to provide a novel'construction of such delivery mechanism which shall be simple to manufacture, without liability to get out of order byuse, land which shall be compact, with its parts so close as to leave 'no room for introducing between or through them into the machine Wires or other unwarrantable means in attempts to cheat the machine by operaing it without the use of a proper coin for the purpose.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vending-machine provided with my improved com-controlled delivery mechanism. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view like and in the withdrawn condition of the representation thereof in Fig. 1, but drawn to a lar er scale; Fig. 3, a similar view of the same with the slide forced inward to the possible limit without the use of a coin; Fi 4, a view like that presented by Fig. 3 wit the parts in the same relative positionsbut having a coin inserted to permit further inward movement of the slide; Fig. 5, a similar view showing the slide in its innermost coin-actuated posi- .tion with the coin being dislodged, and Fig. 6 illustrating the several parts of the delivery mechanism in perspective in the relative positions of assembling them.

The delivery mechanism comprises as `its preferred construction in matters of detail the following-described arts:

A is the thin metal ase-plate of general rectangular form shown to be provided near its forward end with a rectangular slot a narrower than a coinC proper foruse and flanked by slotted ears b, the slot a terminating in a rounded extension a of greater diameter that the coin, and beyond the extension a is provided centrally in the base-plate "a narro/w elongated slot c, the plate terminating at its rear end .in an `upri ht flan e d, through which to fasten it in'p ace, as ereinafter described.

B is the slide-plateof the same general shape` as'the plate A, upon which it` is coniinedly su ported to adapt it to be reciprocated.A Tii upturned iiange e, affording a handle, on its forward end, 4and contains a circular coinrecess f, shown with a forward extension f', and an elongated slot g, into which fits an abutment-plate h, forming a section of the slide-plate and containing a forward short slot or opening h and a rear elongated slot h2 and having a post i rising from its rear end and carrying a delivery-plate k, flanged at' c, along lits rear edge.

The parts, thus described are assembled with the slide-plate B on the base-plate A and the slot g and vsupported on the base-plate, and the base-plate and slide-plate are secured together by a yoke-plate D, provided on each edge wi a depending tongue, like that represented t l in Fig. 6, to enter a slot in an ear b,whe're'n it is fastened by upsetting it, thus straddlin the plate B and coniining it reciprocatingly' place.` Theabutment-plate is similarly confined in the slot g by a screw m, provided with a washer m and passing through the base-plate slot c into the base of the post t. The yoke-plate is provided with a central aperture n, and has fastened upon its face. by a screw o one end of a sprintg-pawl E, bent near its center to form a shoul er p, regand provided on its free end With a stop g, registering with an opening rin the yokeplate.-

base-chamber F', irom the top of which rises the rece tacle F2 for the articles to be vended and of t e proper shape for a pile of the par- 'ticular articlesin thls instance shown as envelops Gresting on the top of the casingchamber and surmounted by a flat compacting weight H.

e slide-plate is provided with an.

the abutment-plate reciprocably confined in istering and projecting into the aperture 'n F is the. casing of the machine, having a v The front of the receptacle may be glass I, and its back K is removable and provided with a lock (indicated at t) for permitfing access to the chamber F only by an authorized person possessing a key to fit the lock. A

falseback Kl is also provided to avoid lia-A bility to disturbing the contents of the receptacle each 'time the chamber F is opened to gather the coins that venter it in operating the machine by removing the back K. The false back is also removable to permit access to the receptacle forreplenishing it from time to time.

The casing-base forms at the front of the receptacle F2, at its junction therewith, a ledge L and a delivery-slot s for the lowermost article G in the pile thereof, the delivery of which is effected in the manner hereinafter described.

With the parts of the delivery mechanism assembled it is sup orted in the up er part of the vchamber F', t e plate A being fastened at its flange d to the back of the top u of the chamber containing an openin u and the plates A and B passing at their forward ends through a lslot e in the forward wall of the chamber and through a slotted metal plate w, scured on the face of the wall to cover the s ot.

As will be observed, the flat metal parts of the delivery mechanism as assembled render it very compact and thin, leavingno openings through which. to insert wires, toothpicks, and other means commonly resorted-to by dishonest persons for insertion into the machine in attempts to work it without using a coin to effect the deliveryof a vendable article from the casin and the slot or openin in the casin throug which the plates A an iB pass at t eir forward ends is fitted by them so closely as to leave no opening past them through which to introduce such1 prohibited 'means v Tov actuate the deliverymechanism, the rocedure is as follows: With the slide-plate in its drawn-'out position, in which it is representedA in Figs. 1 and 2, a copper cent or 'backward movement of the slide-plate is brought under the o ening 'n in the yokeplate, it raises out of t e latter the shoulder p of the springawl E, and thereby also raises the stop-toot q on the free end-ef the pawl out of the slot h2 in the abutment-plate h, keeping the spring-p'awl thus raised, as represented in Fig. `4, until the coin in the further movement of the slide-plate clears the shoulder p, in doing which it enters the enlargement a ofthe slot a, which is of greater diameter than the coin, thus permitting the latter to drop out of the delivery mechanism into the coin-receiving chamber F. In/ this last-attained position of the coin the shoulder p under the recoil action of the spring-pawl again enters the apperture n, thereby entering the tooth g through the aperture r against the top of the coin with the effect of dislodging it, as represented in Fig. 5, in the event of its sticking, the parts being then in the relative positions in which they are shown in Fig. 5. The slide-plate has thus been forced inward tothe fullest possible extent to bring the flange 7c of the delivery-plate lc, on which the envelops G rest, behind the rear edge of the lowermost envelop in the pile thereof, the

flange entering a reces x, Fig. 1, in the back K to insure its clearin the rearmost edge of the lower envelop. .Thereu on the operator pulls out the slide-plate, an by so doing the flange 7c engages and pushes ahead of it the lowermost envelop through the slot s upon the ledge L, thus effecting its delivery to the purchaser who removes it.

Unless a coin is placed in the recess f preliminary to pushing in the slide-plate no delivery will be effected, since withoutthe coin the delivery-plate will not be forced backward far enough to cause its flange to clear the rear edge ofthe lowermost envelop. The inward movement of the slidelate will engage it with the forward end of t e abutmentplate h and force the latter backward across the shoulder p (thus momentarily but impotentl raisin the s ring-pawl E) until the forwar end o the s ot h2 1n the abutmentplate encounters the stop-tooth q, the parts eing then in the relative positions in which I they are re resented in Fig. 3. This encounter locks t e abutmentte, and therefore also the slide-plate, against further backward movement, the extent of which has been only sufficient to bring the flange lc ofthe delivery-plate underneath the ackage of envelops, so that when the sli e-plate is again drawn out the delivery-plate will move under the package without producing any delivery.

The slot h in the forward end of the abutment-plate is especially provided to prevent the machine lfrom being o erated by the use of an annular disk, suc as a washer. When a washer is inserted into the recess'f in lieu of the pro er coin, inward movement of the slide-plate brings the washer into enga ement with the shoulder p and raises t e spring E accordin ly; but when the central opening in the was er registers'with the openingln the recoil of the spring passes the tooth q t rough the slot h', thereby locking the slideplate against the required extent of inward movement..

IOO

lIO

If for any reason it is desired after inserting a coin into its recess f and before pushing inward the slide-bar to withdraw the coin, it is accessible for the pur ose of dislodving it from the recess, in w ich i-t fits cosely,

`through the extension f As theslotted abutment-plate h is reci rocably confined in a longer slot in the s 1deplate B, enough lost motion is afforded to the abutmentplate to avoid the necessity of forcing the slide-plate to its full inward limit to bring the delivery-plate cbehind shorter or broken pieces of the articles to be vended, such as gum, l[hat may be contained in the stack thereof in the magazine holding the su )ply of such articles.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1,. Coin-controlled delivery mechanism for a vending-machine, comprising7 in combination, a slotted base-plate, a slide-plate reciprocably supported thereon and provided with a coin-recess, an abutment-section of said slide-plate containing a forward opening and a rear elongated slot and carrying a delivery device, a yoke-plate rovided with openings and 4fastened to sai thereon said slide-plate, and a spring-pawl secured on said yoke-plate and provided with a stop on its free end to engage said abutmentbase-plate to coniine section at the slot therein through one of said yoke-plate openings, and provided between its ends with a shoulder vextending through the outer yoke-plate opening into the ath of the coinin said recess, to be engaged t ereby, for the purpose set forth.

2.. Coin-controlled delivery mechanism for Va vending-machine, comprising, in combination, a slotted base-plate, a slide-plate containinga coin-recess and a longitudinal slot, a yokelate provided with o enings and reciproca ly confining the sli e-plate on the` Ibase-plate, an abutment-plate having a forward o ening and a longitudinal slot in rear thereo and carrying a delivery device, said abutmentlate being conined in the slot in said slide-pliate, and a s ring-pawl secured on said yoke-plate, provi ed with a stop on its free end to engage the abutment-plate atthe slot therein through one of said openings in the yoke-plate, and between its ends with a shoulder extending through the otherv opening in the yoke-plate into the path of a coin in said recess, to be engaged thereby, for the purpose set forth.

. ARTHUR SPEAR..

In presence of- I W. B.DAv1Es, J. H. LANDES. 

